Onewheel Facing Several Product Liability Lawsuits

Onewheel is a popular motorized skateboard product, which, as the name implies, only has one wheel. Several users have reported problems with the device, which can reach speeds of over 25 mph. The first known lawsuit dates back to May 15, 2020. It was filed by the family of a Houston man who died after his Onewheel abruptly shut off mid-ride. Over the following months, similar lawsuits have been filed in San Diego, where a user reported a severe brain injury, and New York, where one user suffered a punctured lung and multiple fractures. These cases allege that the Onewheel is intrinsically defective and has a serious design defect. The lawsuits also allege that Onewheel marketed its product as safe and failed to warn users about the defect. The suits also allege that misleading advertising sold the products as safe to use for adults and children.

Understanding the core allegations 

Injured Onewheel riders have made similar allegations across most of the Onewheel lawsuits. These include:

• “Nosedive” defect – According to the lawsuits, the Onewheel board’s motor can suddenly shut off, causing the device to pitch forward into the ground, while also ejecting the rider.

• Hazardous “pushback” feature – The pushback feature is intended to signal high-speed warnings, but it sometimes destabilizes riders or contributes to loss-of-control incidents.

• Failure to warn – Plaintiffs allege the company failed to adequately warn users of the risks associated with riding the device and downplayed known dangers.

• Misleading marketing – Several suits suggest Future Motion promoted Onewheel as safe and user-friendly while minimizing several known risks.

Consumer safety alerts and recalls 

In November 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a major warning concerning the Onewheel that urged consumers to stop using the boards due to the ejection risk. At the time, Future Motion dismissed the recall as “alarmist”.

By September 2023, after there had been several reports of injuries and fatalities, only then did Future Motion initiate a recall of around 300,000 boards across all models. They also issued a firmware update to integrate a “haptic buzz” warning mechanism.

Consolidation into multi-district litigation (MDL) 

As more and more members of the public began filing lawsuits against Onewheel over injuries they sustained, the lawsuits were consolidated into an MDL in 2024 in the Northern District of California.

At this point, multiple settlement conferences have been held. Bellwether cases have been proposed with trial dates in 2026. While settlement talks continue, no cases have been resolved thus far.

Reported injuries 

Reported injuries range from fractures, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, punctured lungs, ligament damage, concussion, and even death.

Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today 

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of Florida residents who have been injured due to dangerous or defective products. Call our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.